Gloucestershire close in on historic one-day treble

Gloucestershire are on the verge of completing a clean sweep of the domestic one-day competitions after a convincing victory over Sussex last night lifted them to the top of the National League.

Their six-wicket win and Yorkshire's defeat by Kent means Gloucestershire will be crowned champions if Somerset fail to beat Lancashire at Old Trafford tonight. Even if they do, Gloucestershire can still complete the treble in front of their own supporters by beating Northamptonshire in their final game on Sunday week.

Gloucestershire seemed to have been on the rough end of Duckworth Lewis calculations when they were asked to score 171 in 31 overs after two stoppages for rain had curtailed Sussex's innings. But Tim Hancock and Kim Barnett launched the innings with a stand of 69 in 15 overs and after Barnett had holed out to long off his partner upped the tempo in partnership with Harvey, adding 66 in ten overs before he was caught at long on for 51 made off 72 balls.

Harvey blasted 43 off just 30 balls before he was needlessly run out answering Jeremy Snape's call for a quick single, but a target of 25 off the last five overs was never likely to trouble a side with Gloucestershire's one-day pedigree and they got home with 11 balls to spare.

Harvey had earlier produced another outstanding performance with the ball, taking 3-23 including dangerman Chris Adams and fellow opener Richard Montgomerie with just 12 on the board. Only fellow Australian Michael Bevan mastered some tight bowling as he made an unbeaten 82 off 87 balls, his eighth half-century in the competition this season.